


the choice we make

by bertererei



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Aftermath of battle, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Foul Language, Gen, Manga Spoiler, Misunderstandings, OOC
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-25
Updated: 2019-08-25
Packaged: 2020-09-26 13:22:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20390383
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bertererei/pseuds/bertererei
Summary: Manga Spoilers. Please be warned.------Porco follows Falco one day to the hospital and finally figures out what Falco has been so desperately trying to keep secret.





	the choice we make

**Author's Note:**

  * For [tatakaeren](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tatakaeren/gifts).

> Originally, I wanted 3 stories for your birthday, but it seems that I was a bit too greedy. So this 2nd part of the gift is the last. ^^’’’’ Happy birthday, [tatakaeren](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tatakaeren/pseuds/tatakaeren)! 
> 
> I think Falco delivered the letters for Eren just once, but it looked like Falco visited the hospital quite a lot from how everyone reacted to it. So I’m taking advantage of that.
> 
> Warnings: Canon Divergence. Foul language. Misunderstandings. OOC. Aftermath of battles.

This is so damned embarrassing. 

Colt better be thankful that Porco is such a thoughtful and awesome friend. Because there’s nothing worse than being seen as a creep who stalks his friend’s little brother.

But Colt was worried that Falco might be involved in something dangerous. 

“He’s always running off somewhere with this grin on his face. On top of that, he’s gotten so gung-ho about inheriting the Armored Titan instead of Gabi. It’s making me so nervous.”

Pieck laughed and said, “Boys that age like to keep little secrets. Don’t they, Pock?”

And yeah, Porco’s of the opinion that Pieck’s right. This is probably something that’s better left as Falco’s little secret. Maybe he has a girlfriend. Maybe he has a boyfriend. Maybe he’s secretly raising a cat in the back alleyway. No matter which one, giving a kid something to hold onto that makes him happy is a good thing. Especially for Eldians like them.

Except today, while Colt was busy playing catch with Zeke, Porco returned early to the internment zone and saw Falco running off.

It’s none of his business.

Really, he should just let Falco be.

Just bury this as Colt being an overprotective old brother and never think of it again.

While thinking such thoughts, Porco follows Falco to the hospital.

Personally, Porco tries to dodge hospitals whenever he can. Especially this one. It’s for a purely selfish reason. He hates seeing the leftovers of the prolonged battles. The traumas that these Eldians suffered because he as the Jaw Titan was not allowed to be deployed fast enough. Even though his own body is more durable with the ability to heal. Why the hell is it that his monstrous strength has to be protected by these fragile people?

Yeah, he’s guilty. That’s why he does everything he can to avoid this place. He knows it’s embarrassing, alright? It’s his own damned fault for not being strong enough to protect them. And here he is, acting all high and mighty about how he doesn’t want to come to a hospital.

Falco marches in as if he’s been here a thousand times before. 

And Porco hates himself for it, but he follows in, too.

Falco runs to the bench where someone is already sitting and sits down next to them. Porco notes the long black hair and the crutch the person is holding. But he doesn’t sense any threat or danger from that person. What catches his attention, though, is how unusual this is. Why did Falco run for that bench? There are plenty of empty ones that he could’ve…

Is Falco here to talk to that person with long hair?

So Falco does have a girlfriend! That little rascal!

Porco chuckles to himself, feeling proud. He’s going to have to congratulate Falco for becoming an adult later. A girlfriend already at that age… Jeesh, kids these days sure move fast...

Wait a sick minute!

What kind of a sick person dates an obvious kid?! This is most definitely a trap! A scam! Colt was right to be worried. Falco is in danger!

Porco rushes to the bench, his lips pulled back into a scowl.

“Hey!” he yells as loudly as he dares in a hospital. 

Falco flinches and turns towards him with dread on his face. The other person… Huh? Is that a beard on his face? And it also looks like his left eye is bandaged. Oh, Porco realizes belatedly. Is this person one of the soldiers who can no longer fight? 

So Falco’s cougar girlfriend is actually a soldier who’s suffering from trauma. 

A soldier who is really pretty despite his wounds. Porco thinks he’s heard it described as “poignant beauty of a widow” by someone on the battlefield before. N-not that he’s interested or anything. But there’s absolutely nothing wrong with acknowledging beauty where it’s due.

And damn it, Falco, why do you get someone this pretty to be yours when Porco (and Colt and the rest of the Warriors, now that he thinks about it) is so painfully single?

“M-Mr. Galliard!” 

Falco scrambles to stand up. He glances nervously between Porco and the soldier next to him. Suspicious. He’s clearly hiding something.

“U-uh… M-Mr. Galliard, this is Mr. Kruger. Mr. Kruger, this is Mr. Galliard. He’s the holder of the Jaw Titan,” Falco says as introduction.

Porco turns to glare at this Mr. Kruger, half tempted to growl. But he holds himself back because he’s not a complete maniac, unlike this guy.

“And what business does Mr. Kruger here have with Falco?” Porco asks, crossing his arms in front of himself.

Kruger stares at Porco with an unreadable look. 

What? Does this asshole want a fight? Well, Porco is a trained Warrior who can heal all wounds. Someone with one eye and leg missing has absolutely nothing on him. And oh god, what the hell is wrong with him? Why is he picking a fight with someone who clearly can’t fight back? And yeah, he’s always been short-tempered. But this is a new low, even for him.

Then Kruger dips his head, a small blush on his face. “I… suppose it’ll sound pathetic, especially to you. But I wanted company.”

… So it doesn’t have to be Falco, right?

Porco mentally kicks himself. That is so not the correct question to this situation right now. Right now, protecting Falco comes first.

“And that required you to seduce a child?” he growls.

“S-sedu…? M-Mr. Galliard! It’s not like that!” Falco squeaks, his face beet red.

Kruger holds his hands up to show that he means no harm. “I think there’s a grave misunderstanding here. I’m not that kind of person.”

“Prove it.”

What is he? Five? Prove it? With what? He’s the one who barged in here without any evidence while throwing accusations around like a madman. What the hell is wrong with him? He should’ve just watched from afar if he was that worried. There was absolutely no need to get involved. He really should’ve just let Falco have this and-

Kruger sighs, looking tired as if he’s been dealing with unruly brats all day. And with how Porco has been yelling about, he doesn’t even blame Kruger for thinking that of him.

“Then why don’t you join us, Mr. Jaw Titan? I have nothing to hide.”

Falco looks like he wants to protest, but Porco is one step ahead of him. He sits down right next to Kruger and then looks to Falco. Reluctantly, Falco sits down on Porco’s other side.

The three of them stay like this in quiet for a few more minutes.

“Why aren’t you talking?!” Porco groans. “If you say absolutely nothing, I end up looking like the bad guy!”

Kruger touches his mouth with his hand and looks away. From the way his shoulders are shaking, Porco realizes this damned soldier is laughing at him.

Without thinking, he grips Kruger’s shoulder closest to him. “Don’t laugh!” he yells, shaking Kruger. “Don’t laugh!”

That somehow prompts Kruger to burst out laughing. He’s no longer hiding his smile with his hand. And Porco thought that this guy looked good for someone so injured and shabby, but isn’t he waaaaay too handsome when he laughs like this? That’s so not fair. Who the hell sent this good looking of a person to the battlefield? 

“Hahaha… Mr. Jaw Titan, you’re not at all what I expected.”

“The hell’s that supposed to mean?”

“I thought… All the Warriors would be aloof and cool. Kind of a like a hero, you know?”

Is this guy mocking him?!

Porco grabs the front of Kruger’s shirt. But whatever flaring anger seems to dim at the sight of the smile Kruger gives him.

Damn beautiful people. 

One smile, and Porco loses all fight.

“Tch!” he grumbles, releasing Kruger. He pretends that his cheeks aren't hot.

He glances to his left to see what Falco’s doing and why he’s so quiet. Falco is staring at the two of them with wide eyes.

“Y-you uh… m-made Mr. Kruger smile,” Falco stammers.

Kruger blinks his eye owlishly. “Ah, he did.”

Porco frowns. What? Is that rare or something? From how horrified Falco looks, Porco is starting to think that making Kruger laugh is some kind of a criminal offense. How the hell can these two leave Porco out without even having a conversation?

“W-what’s wrong with you smiling? You’re a good looking person. You should smile more.”

Kruger looks wary. Like he’s been hurt by someone so deeply that he cannot begin to trust others again. If that’s truly the case, then why does he bother keeping Falco close? As Porco suspected, there’s more to this than meets the eyes, doesn’t it? If it’s not something creepy, then most likely, this guy… 

“I uh… also really liked seeing you smile,” Falco admits with a sheepish smile of an angel.

“Smiling… huh?” Kruger mumbles. He seems to think about something and then turns to Porco and Falco with an awkward one on his face. “Like this?”

“Pfft… Hahahahaha! What the hell? Aren’t you just a dork?” Porco laughs.

Falco lightly smacks his arm. “Mr. Galliard! You’re supposed to encourage him!”

Kruger’s cheeks dust red as he lowers his head to glare at the ground.

“Look, you made him sad!” Falco scolds.

The laughter dies in Porco’s throat, not because of Falco’s lecture. If you were to ask him exactly what went through his mind at that time, he can only shrug uncomfortably and look away. 

Because with just that simple blush, Kruger managed to steal Porco’s breath.

*

“Mr. Galliard, a-about Mr. Kruger…” 

“No one would say anything to you if you just told them the truth,” Porco says without glancing at Falco. “But if you want me to keep quiet, I will.”

Falco lets out a small sigh of relief. This really bothered him, huh? Porco doesn’t really get why. Who cares whether Falco went to talk to the people in the hospital? In fact, doesn’t saying that make Falco sound like a great humanitarian? Why is he trying so hard to hide it? This feels suspicious as hell, and Porco is trying his best not to jump to conclusions. 

“Uh… Mr. Kruger is… He’s in the hospital for having lost his memory. But he er… he lied. He said that… his family didn’t want him to go to the battlefield, but he stubbornly went. And now that he uh… he’s like that, he said he didn’t want to go home.”

Porco finally turns to Falco, who is looking very seriously at him.

“Why are you telling me this?” Porco asks slowly.

Falco blinks and stares at Porco baffled. “Eh? Don’t you like him? You were staring at him the entire time.”

“W-w-what the hell are you saying?! I was watching him for any suspicious move! Both of you aren’t in the clear yet!”

There’s a small pause before Falco’s shoulders deflate.

“Oh, is that so? I’m sorry for assuming. I just… I thought that maybe we were in the same boat.”

This is a trap. This is so clearly a trap that Porco can’t believe he falls for it.

“Same boat?”

Falco blushes. “Y-y-you know…?”

“You like someone?”

The blush darkens. Instead of trying to speak, Falco nods.

“It’s Mr. Kruger, isn’t it? You like him and his pretty face?” 

“Mr. Galliard, please learn to follow conversations.”

Being told that by his friend’s kid brother cuts him much deeper than Porco expects. 

He rubs the back of his neck. “But if it’s not Mr. Kruger, then… Oh, Pieck?”

Falco covers his face with his hands. 

“Mr. Galliard, were you always this hopeless?”

“S-shut it. If it’s not Pieck or Mr. Kruger, then who is it?”

“You figure it out!” 

With that sudden outburst, Falco runs off, his face beet red.

Porco stares after him with a worried frown. What’s gotten into him? Why is he behaving like such a… 

Oh.

Oh.

Falco… that guy…

He likes Porco, doesn’t he?

*

Kruger keeps one hand covering his mouth as he looks at Porco with an unreadable expression. 

“So you… c-came running back t-to me?” he asks, struggling to keep his voice as neutral as possible.

Bastard. Porco can hear his laughter in his voice.

“You’ve spent a lot of time with him, so you have to know. Who does Falco like? It’s me, isn’t it?”

Kruger loses his composure for just a second. He lets a a few chuckles escape his mouth before he quickly schools his expression. Porco feels his patience starting to thin.

“… For a Warrior, you… struggle with common sense, huh?”

“You little…!”

Porco grabs him by the front of his shirt, but Kruger doesn’t seem to be bothered at all. Instead, Kruger just holds both hands up in the air, letting his crutch fall to the ground.

“Look, if you’re that curious as to who Falco likes, why don’t you observe him for a bit? Kids that age struggle with hiding things like that.”

It still doesn’t sit well with him. He wanted to hear the answer to the question instead of something so cryptic like what Marcel would say.

But he would look the villain if he stayed like this. 

With a soft sigh, Porco releases Kruger and picks up the crutch for the guy.

“Sorry for roughening you up.”

Kruger shrugs. “You’re the type that moves first and thinks later… Thinks much, much later…”

Porco shoots him a glare, but Kruger pretends to not see it.

“But I’m putting my faith in you, Mr. Jaw Titan. I’m sure you’ll be able to figure out Falco’s crush.”

*

“Colt, who does Falco have a crush on?” Porco demands to know when the rest of them are all gathered in the morning.

“H-huh? C-crush?! Falco has a crush on someone?! Who?” Colt demands, shaking Porco’s arm.

Okay. Well, that’s a failed lead. C’mon, Colt. Pay more attention to your brother. Why don’t you know the answer to this?

“Is that why he’s been disappearing so much? He’s going to play with his crush?”

According to Kruger and Falco, that’s not the case at all. But the two of them feel like they're just spinning him around and around in circles without explaining anything.

“Doesn’t he like Gabi?” Pieck asks.

Both Colt and Porco laugh.

“No way! That’s like saying that you have a crush on Mr. Zeke because you two are always sent out on missions together!” Porco points out.

Pieck gives them a look before shrugging. “Only see what you want to see, huh?”

… Huh? D-does that mean…?

“You like Mr. Zeke?” Colt asks, slowly paling.

Pieck’s smile looks like she’s trying to manage a headache. “Do you two ever wonder why you were never chosen as Warriors until we had no choice?”

“What does that have to do with anything?” Porco demands.

“… Nothing, Pock.”

“Don’t call me that! Hey, don’t run away! Pieck, get back here!”

*

“I’ve got nothing,” Porco sighs as he sits heavily on the bench next to Kruger.

Kruger looks at him like he didn’t expect Porco to return. “N-nothing on what?”

“Falco’s crush. C’mon man. Just tell me who it is. It’s me, isn’t it?”

“He only mentioned it in passing. But he said that there’s a girl candidate that he doesn’t want to inherit the Armored Titan. I don’t know if it’s actually a crush, though.”

Porco frowns. A girl candidate…? Then it has to be…

“Zofia!”

Kruger doesn’t look like he recognizes the name. So Porco tries…

“Gabi?”

Again, Kruger’s expression doesn’t change.

“Those two are the only girl candidates. Unless he was actually talking about Udo?”

No sign of recognition.

Then Kruger pauses and points to himself. “Are you using me to figure out which of those kids it is? I told you, he only mentioned it in passing. He didn’t say anything about a name. You’ll know it better than me.”

“Is that so?” Porco finds himself relaxing. “Ah good. Then it must be Zofia. Haha! I figured it all out!”

Kruger politely claps. So Porco only finds it natural that he stands before the soldier and bows.

“Thank you! Thank you! Take that, Pieck! I am not a lost cause!”

The smile on Kruger’s face is much natural this time. Porco can’t keep his eyes off of it. In fact… 

He walks forward until he’s right in front of Kruger. The smile is gone now. Kruger watches him carefully with his eye obscured by his long hair.

Slowly, Porco reaches up and moves the hair out of Kruger’s face, revealing a cautious green eye.

“It just seems like a shame to always cover up your eye like that. Doesn’t it get annoying?”

“I’ve… gotten used to it,” Kruger says.

There’s something to his voice. Like he’s preparing himself for a fight. Like he wants to run. Like he…

Like he wants Porco to leave him alone.

And that’s just not fair. Isn’t it Kruger that said that he wanted company? Or did he mean that if it’s not Falco, it’s not good enough? Porco isn’t enough?

He’ll never be good enough, no matter what?

But Porco is now the Jaw Titan. That means that in Marley’s eyes that he was good enough to inherit that. That he was good enough for something. But that’s not enough for Kruger?

Or is it because of the Jaw? 

Kruger always calls him “Mr. Jaw Titan.” Almost like he can’t get over the fact. Almost like he’s always reminding himself (reminding Porco) of the monster that Porco is. So maybe, this has less to do with Porco’s worth and more to do with… 

“Do I scare you?” Porco asks. “The fact that I can turn into a monster, I mean.”

“If I say you do, would that change anything? You will still be the holder of the Jaw Titan. Absolutely nothing would change.”

“You don’t know that. Maybe that will be the catalyst that changes the world,” Porco insists.

Kruger allows a hint of a smile on his face. “Yes, Mr. Jaw Titan. You terrify me.”

Porco wonders what he really wanted from his question. He doesn’t feel all that satisfied with that answer. Or perhaps it’s that he’s disappointed that Kruger is right. Absolutely nothing changes.

With a soft sigh, he releases Kruger’s hair. The black locks cover the green eye.

The world around them goes on.

*

“Did you find out Falco’s crush?” Colt asks Porco the next day. 

“It’s Zofia,” Porco announces.

He hears Reiner choke on his drink. Pieck pats his back with a look on her face that says that she’s still managing her headache. If it’s really bothering her, she should really get that looked at. They’re titans with abilities to heal themselves. And if she can’t do something as simple as that, then she’ll become a liability on the battlefield.

“You… uh… Galliard, what?” Reiner asks.

But Porco really isn’t in the mood to deal with Reiner. “If you got something to say, spit it out.”

Reiner opens his mouth but then closely it quickly. He shakes his head.

“No. It’s nothing.”

Then don't waste everyone's time. Damned idiot.

*

When Porco goes to see Kruger that afternoon, Falco is already there. It looks like he’s fuming as he complains to Kruger about something. Kruger seriously listens to Falco, nodding his head and commenting here or there.

Will the conversation cease once Porco gets there? If he gets near them, will he ends up ruining their good mood? Then, for their sake, should he just turn tail and leave?

“Ah! Mr. Galliard!” Falco yells out. He stands up from the bench and points an accusing finger towards Porco. “What did you tell my dumb brother?! He’s been giggling at me and saying embarrassing things like ‘My little brother is now a man!’”

“What makes you think that’s my fault?” Porco protests.

“Because you’re the only one who talks to Colt regularly!”

Porco feels insulted on behalf of Colt. But he finds that he doesn’t exactly have a good defense for him either. 

“H-he… talks to Mr. Zeke.”

Falco lets out a frustrated groan. He throws himself back onto the bench and cuddles up next to Kruger. Kruger seems amused at least, because he lets Falco take his arm to wrap it around himself.

“Can you believe that guy, Mr. Kruger? He’s so insensitive!”

Why the hell does Kruger have to always sit on the right most end of the bench? Porco can’t sit on his other side if it’s like this!

With an annoyed scowl, Porco approaches them. 

“Please tell him off, Mr. Kruger!” Falco says.

And just saying, Colt was five times cuter than Falco when he was that age. Well, Porco could also think that because Colt had no spine and often flinched back whenever Porco turned to him… Jeesh, if that guy didn’t have Porco, he would’ve been bullied by so many people!

Kruger looks between the two of them, clearly trying to decide which side to stand by. He scratches his neck with a troubled expression. Porco feels like he’s seen that gesture before. Something about that simple movement really bothers him.

“Mr. Jaw Titan, don’t you think you’re being childish?” Kruger says.

Whatever train of thought Porco had before flies out the window as he grabs Kruger by the front of his shirt.

“Don’t just side with a kid! I’m the one being unfairly accused here!”

Kruger tries to put his hands up in the air, but one of his hand is still caught by Falco. With a resigned sigh, Kruger reaches over with his free hand and dares to touch Porco’s sleek hair that takes two hours every morning to set correctly.

Porco knocks his hand away.

“Don’t touch my hair! If you’re going to comfort me, don’t go for my hair!”

“I honestly don’t know what you guys want from me.”

“Obviously, just side with me!” Porco growls.

Falco shakes his head. “Mr. Kruger is going to side with me.”

“Can’t I just be on my own side?” Kruger asks.

“Denied!”

*

“Recently, you look like you’ve been in a good mood,” Pieck remarks casually when they’re all gathered together to watch the Warrior Candidates train.

Porco glances at her in surprise. “Me?”

“Yes, you. Don’t you think so, Colt?”

Colt has dark bags under his eyes as if he hasn’t gotten any sleep. His eyes are bloodshot as he sniffs lightly. Actually, from how red and puffy they are, maybe it's more correct to say that Colt was too busy crying all night to sleep.

“… No, rather than me being in a good mood, isn’t it that Colt is in an extremely bad mood?”

“W-what’s wrong?” Pieck asks Colt while shooting Porco a look that’s clearly asking him to shut up.

Even Reiner glances towards their direction as if he wants to jump in.

Colt takes in a shuddering breath. “L-last night, Falco told me that if I tease him one more time about his crush, he’ll hate me forever.”

“F-Falco said this?” Reiner asks in disbelief. “Falco, the nicest and kindest of all the Warrior Candidates?”

But what the hell would Reiner know about that little monster that likes to cuddle up next to Kruger anyhow? That’s right. As always, Reiner knows absolutely nothing.

“I-I’m his big brother! He won’t actually hate me, will he?”

“There’s no rule that says little brothers can’t hate their older ones,” Porco informs Colt.

Colt bursts into tears. Reiner uncertainly pats Colt’s back, looking like he has no idea what he should do. Pieck has that look on her face again like she’s managing multiple headaches now. 

“Hey Porco, why don’t you go find our War Chief and… ask him when the next mission is?” Pieck asks.

“Why do I have to do it?” 

“Just go!”

*

Jerks. All of them.

They think they’re all so smart. What the hell would they know about brothers anyway? Reiner killed Porco’s, but his opinion matters more than Porco’s? Pieck, isn’t that backwards?

“Mr. Zeke!” Porco calls. “I’ve been chased off by the others. Do you have anything for me to do, sir?”

The War Chief flinches at suddenly being addressed. But when he realizes that it’s Porco, he turns to him with the usual coolness.

“You were chased off? What did you do?”

“I didn’t do anything! Colt was just throwing a tantrum about his little brother hating him forever. I told him that it’s completely possible.”

Huh? Zeke just froze for a second there, didn’t he? But Zeke is an only child, isn’t he…? Oh, right. There’s that Eren Jaeger guy, isn’t there? But does that guy really count as Zeke’s little brother? Sure, they share a father. But they never shared any childhood or brotherly bond time or whatever. There’s no need for Zeke to consider him.

Hell, wouldn’t the current Warriors feel more like family to Zeke than someone who is clearly their enemy?

“H-hypothetically speaking… Porco, what do you think an older brother would have to do to be hated to that degree?”

Why is it that the only thing that comes to mind is Marcel’s smile before he got onto the ship to Paradis, never to be seen again?

If it had been Porco who was sent instead of Reiner, would they have Marcel back? Or would Porco have caused an even greater mistake that costed them everything? Because sometimes, he sees the memories of that dumbass Ymir and he can’t help but to think that… 

“Disappear without a trace.”

There’s a knowing look in Zeke’s eyes. He lets out a soft sigh. “I’m sorry. I touched a nerve.”

“No, sir. Just stating a fact. Marcel… was brought back through the memories of that woman. He hasn’t disappeared completely yet for me. So I don’t hate him.”

The smile on Zeke’s face feels kinder somehow. But there doesn’t seem any notable difference between the way he is smiling now and how he normally does it. Porco supposes this is one of those reasons why he could never keep up with Marcel or Pieck or anyone else. But the fact that he noticed it this time is a step in the right direction, right?

“You’ve grown up well, Porco.”

“To be honest, I don’t feel like I’ve grown at all,” he sighs.

Zeke laughs and pats Porco’s back in a friendly way that he’s never done before. Zeke has never been a very affectionate person, not even to Colt. There was always a stark distance that he kept between himself and everyone else. But right now, it feels almost as if Porco might be able to close that gap.

Is it because he has so little time left? Or is it because… 

“We’re more similar than I first realized, it seems!” Zeke says. 

He scratches his neck with a rueful smile.

And the puzzle pieces click into place.

But no, no. That can’t be. That just… There’s no way… Huh? Wait. Stop. None of this is making any sense.

“Porco?” Zeke asks with a worried frown. “Is something the matter?”

Yes. No. Maybe. He doesn’t know. But if he approaches this lightly, he knows for a fact that his remaining family will not be unscathed.

“I… think the lunch I ate isn’t agreeing with me. My stomach’s suddenly acting up. Can you tell everyone I went home early? Thank you!”

So he runs away.

*

He’s jumping to conclusions.

There’s no way that what he’s thinking is the truth.

But what if it is?

Then… Then let’s take a second to think this through. Let’s be like Marcel for once instead of just rushing into things head first.

First scenario: He runs right now to the Marley. Without any shred of evidence, he reports his suspicions. Because the Marleys have never doubted Zeke’s loyalty, Porco is accused as a traitor and as an instigator. His family is shipped off to become mindless titans. The Jaw Titan passes on to Falco, since Gabi will get the Armored.

Second scenario: He runs back to Zeke. Without any shred of evidence, he blurts out his suspicions. Zeke denies everything. Porco pushes. It ends exactly the same way as the first scenario, because the Marley will doubtlessly side with Zeke.

Third scenario: He runs right now to Kruger. Without any shred of evidence, he blurts out his suspicions. Kruger…

Kruger…?

Insufficient information. 

Porco can’t figure out what will happen next in this scenario. Will Kruger laugh at him like he normally does? Will Kruger go quiet before admitting everything? No, there’s no way that guy will just say everything. Especially not if he is who Porco thinks he is.

Fourth scenario: He keeps his mouth shut. He watches for evidence. He watches for signs. And because he’s a dumbass who misses obvious signs in front of his eyes, he ends up doing absolutely nothing and lets things play out exactly… Exactly?

Huh?

Now that he stops to think about it, what the hell is the plan?

Zeke is trying to push the Marley into invading Paradis again. For revenge before his term runs out, he said. Because he feared Colt won’t be able to do what he can do as the Beast Titan. Therefore, it is easy to conclude that whatever it is that he wants to accomplish involves that damned island.

Kruger is here in the hospital with missing eye and a leg. Judging from the fact that both Zeke and Kruger have the same mannerism of scratching their neck, it’s easy to jump to the assumption that they’ve already met. But isn’t that rushing the conclusion too much? Isn’t he jumping at the shadows too early?

But the way that Zeke reacted to the idea of a little brother hating his older one… The way Zeke suddenly showed signs of physical affections when he never has before… 

Doesn’t that scream the only possible conclusion?

Once upon a time, Marcel said that Porco's sense of intuition was the sharpest out of all of them. Without needing to see any evidence or proof, he can arrive on the correct conclusion on just gut instinct. But that's not really the truth. Porco's been wrong plenty of times before. But this. This right here, he feels that there's no way that he's wrong. Even though there's no evidence, even though he can't think of a logical reason how it can be true, he feels it in his heart that he's right.

His steps slow when he realizes that he made his way to the hospital. 

Why is he here? He’s already deduced that the third scenario is one with the most amount of variables that make it impossible to predict the future. In fact, that’s exactly the one that Marcel would throw out the minute Porco brought it up. So why is it that that’s the one that he ran headfirst for?

This is why people think he’s so stupid. This is why he was never chosen to be a Warrior. It wasn’t because Reiner was more loyal to Marley. It wasn’t because he messed up somewhere and fell to the bottom of the Warrior Candidates. It was because he was stupid.

Still is.

Look at him. He’s just marching up to Kruger’s bench without any form of plan or thought.

But the minute Kruger’s green eye settles on him, he finds himself…

Himself?

He finds himself.

He calms down. His worries disappear. He doesn’t feel like he’s about to lose his mind, chasing after the shadows. He feels like the cocky Warrior Candidate who was certain of his victory. He feels like the current holder of the Jaw Titan. 

He feels like Porco Galliard. 

Ah, what the hell? 

This is Kruger. And he knows Kruger.

Kruger is an awkward guy who is lonely beyond words. So lonely, in fact, he reached out to little Falco. So lonely, in fact, he accepted Porco’s presence despite being so terrified of him. That’s the kind of guy Kruger is. 

There’s no way that Kruger can be Eren Jaeger.

“Oh, Mr. Jaw Titan. You’re early today,” Kruger greets.

“Colt was having a break down over Falco,” Porco groans as he sits down next to Kruger. “It was so damned annoying, so I made a break for it.”

Kruger chuckles. “How brave of you.”

“You laugh, but if you were there, you’d have looked for any way to get away, too. Like, I get it. Falco’s going through his rebellion stage in life. But Colt doesn’t have to fear Falco hating him forever and ever, you know? Falco’s a good kid. He doesn’t know how to hate people.”

“Yes, he is a good kid,” Kruger agrees.

“Do you think there is such a thing? Something that your older brother does that make you hate them forever?”

Kruger freezes for just a second, just like Zeke did. Porco scolds himself for comparing. 

“I… thought that way once, yes. If… the reason why everything went to hell is this one person’s fault, then things will be better… With such naive thought, I have hated before.”

Past tense, Porco thinks. “What? You’ve forgiven that person?”

Kruger’s lips pull into an uncertain smile. Or maybe that’s a frown? Porco can’t get a good read on what that is at all.

“Perhaps? At the very least, I understand why they did what they did.”

“Hey, can I tell you a really petty story?”

Kruger motions for Porco to go ahead.

“My brother… Marcel was this really cool guy. Whenever things went wrong, you knew he’d not only have your back but also a long list of plans to get you out of it. He was really smart. But more than that, he stayed calm and collected, no matter the situation. I really looked up to him.”

Porco’s voice is shaking. He stops speaking to compose himself. For a second, it looks like Kruger might speak, but he must have changed his mind. Kruger is looking at his hands in his lap. 

Feeling calmer, Porco continues.

“He had the Jaw Titan first. But during a mission, he died. No, not just died. He was killed. His murderer was brought back for me to eat. Isn’t that disgusting? I am now the Jaw Titan because I ate my brother’s murderer. Haha… For me, it’s the other way around. I thought I understood. I thought I forgave him. But no matter how I turn it in my head, it makes no sense to me. Why the hell did Marcel die? It’s petty, isn’t it? To hate my brother for something he couldn’t control?”

“Yeah, it’s petty.”

Porco laughs. “It’s stupid and petty.”

“But it makes you human.”

… Pfft. What the hell is this guy saying?

Porco glances over at Kruger and is surprised to find the green eye locked on him. The laughter that was at the tip of his tongue dries up. 

“Does that make me less frightening?” Porco asks.

There’s a hint of a smile on Kruger’s face. But it looks pained somehow. 

“No. It makes you even more so.”

“How does that make sense? You said it makes me human. If I’m less of a monster in your eyes, isn’t that a good thing?”

Kruger shakes his head. “I already know how this story ends, Mr. Jaw Titan. There are no monsters. There were never any monsters. It’s just human. At the core of it all, we’re all human. And that’s what frightens me. Monsters are things of dreams. But humans? They can hurt you where it will never heal.”

“I don’t want you to fear me.”

“Why?”

Porco doesn’t know how to answer that. Isn’t it only obvious that he doesn’t want to be feared? That he wants to have what they’ve been having for the past few days? That he wants this kind of light-hearted atmosphere to never end. No, not quite. It’s not that he doesn’t want it to end. It’s more that he… 

He wants them to be closer.

He wants to see Kruger smile without hiding it behind his hand. He wants to freely talk to Kruger. He wants to hear about Kruger’s past without any vagueness. He wants to get to know Kruger. He wants to be by Kruger’s side.

He wants…

Ah, damn it.

“Because I like you. Of everyone, I want to be your friend the most.”

No matter how he turns it in his head, it sounds like a challenge. Like he’s picking a fight. Like he’s daring Kruger to disagree with him.

Why can’t he be a sweeter person, a calmer person? Why can’t he be someone cool and collected? Why did he have to be Porco Galliard?

“You don’t even know me,” Kruger says, shaking his head. “If you did, then you’d-”

“Eren Jaeger, I like you. I want to get to know you. And, if you'll have me, I want to be your friend.”

Kruger… Eren pales. He stares at Porco with an unreadable look that makes Porco want to kick him. Just say it, Porco wants to yell. Is he mad? Is he angry? Is he hurt? Is he glad? Just say something!

“How… long have you known?” comes the quiet question.

“I figured it out just now after a talk with Mr. Zeke. Well, more so than figure out, it was just a hunch. But your reaction proves it, doesn’t it? You are Eren Jaeger.”

“Are you going to kill me, Mr. Jaw Titan?”

Porco sighs angrily and rubs the back of his neck. “What part of I like you did you not understand?”

“But I am your enemy. Whether you like me or not, don’t you have to turn me in to the Marleys?”

“And then what happens? The Marleys start to investigate this hospital. The victims of the war gets sent off to become mindless titans for the next phase of the war. Maybe the doctors, nurses, and other staff members of this hospital will, too. Just in case they were helping you out. Falco and his entire family are killed. After all, they already have a black mark next to their family name. I get hailed as a hero for maybe a few days before I get sent off on whatever else bullshit Marley wants. Hey tell me, what part of that benefits me exactly?”

Eren tilts his head to the side, staring at Porco for a beat longer. Then he looks away as if ashamed.

“I… was under the impression you liked the Marleys.”

Porco snorts. “They sent my brother to his death. Even if they’re not the ones who put that damned titan there to kill Marcel, they’re still the ones who ordered four fucking kids to go on a mission. And you know what’s even stupider? We knew for years that the other countries were developing Anti-Titan weapons. But instead of coming up with a technological response or other weapons or strategies to counter that, they sat on their asses and said we’ll just wait for those four kids to come back.”

“If you don’t turn me in and I later cause trouble, you’ll be killed. Your family…” 

“I don’t know whatever it is that you and Mr. Zeke are planning. But when that happens, it’ll end up with a lot of people’s deaths, won’t it? Our War Chief is a cold tactician. And the fact that you came to Marley already speaks volumes of what kind of devastation you guys would doubtlessly cause. Given that, I have two choices, don’t I? Do I pick Marleys, who will kill my family at a drop of a hat for any kind of provocation? Or do I pick you, an unknown variable? Someone that if I side with, I'll never know exactly what will happen to me.”

Realization flashes in Eren’s eye.

“I can’t guarantee their safety,” he says.

"What about Falco's?"

Eren shakes his head. 

So not even Falco will be safe, huh? That's fine. Porco figured it'd be like that. That's part of why Kruger refrained from laughing, wasn't it? To try not to grow too close to them. Ah. No wonder Porco frightened him so. The walls Eren carefully built around himself came crumbling down because of him.

It was never because of the Jaw Titan, was it?

Porco nods. “So then it boils down to which master I want to serve.”

“Your ma… W-wait a minute. You don’t mean…?”

Porco reaches over and hits Eren’s chest with his fist. It’s a little awkward since they’re sitting side by side on the bench. But he thinks he got his sincerity across with this.

“I’ll say it again. Eren Jaeger, I like you. I’m not saying you need to trust me or you need to let me in on the plan. Hell, you don't even need to take me with you or save someone for me or whatever. But when things go down, I’ll stand by your side. At that time, won’t you please call me by my name?”

"Why? I don't understand you. Why are you… like this?" Eren demands, making a vague gesture towards Porco.

Why? He's asking that again? The answer hasn't changed, though. But if Eren must know, then he supposes he can try to put his feelings into words. Porco pulls his fist back and taps his chin.

"If I have to say it, it'll be because… This is my choice. For the first time in my life, I can make the choice for myself. Which death do I want? Which ideal do I want to follow? Who do I want as my friend? It's as simple as that."

"I'm not sure I understand," Eren tells him.

Porco grins. "That's fine. Because I don't really get it either. But everyone else around me are there because of circumstances. Because we all had to become Warriors, we got to know each other. But you? I want to get to know you because that's my choice."

He spots Falco heading this way, so he stands up from the bench. He doesn't know if Falco knows the truth or not. But with how hard Falco tried to hide it, he wouldn't be shocked if the Warrior Candidate already put it all together. Jeesh. Kids these days sure are scary. 

"I'm saying that I'm choosing you, Eren. That's all."

*

Porco doesn’t have the courage to show his face in the hospital after that.

*

Pieck’s Panzer Unit is easy enough to take down, even without using his Titan. They may all be trained soldiers. But in the end, they can’t heal as Porco can. They can't move as Porco can. They hold no candle against a trained Warrior.

He pushes all of them into the hole in the ground and waves.

“But why? Porco, why would you do this?!”

“Pieck, you are the smartest of all of us. If you can’t figure it out, I really don’t know what to tell you.”

Porco leaves them there, where he knows they’ll stay safe from the hell this place will become.

*

The Attack Titan looks cute. 

Porco wonders if that’s just his bias, though. 

*

The only one unaccounted for is Reiner. Porco can’t figure out where that coward ran off to. The traitorous Tybur family has been taken care of. Pieck won’t be bothering them. And Zeke has disappeared, although Porco gets an inkling of a feeling that that might be part of the plan.

The rest of the group from Paradis head towards the blimp. That must be their escape.

That’s good.

They’ll disappear as if they were never here to begin with, leaving just this destruction to clean up. Ah, what a pain. Will Porco be killed first? Or will they ask him to help with the clean up? Actually, is there even enough people left over to inherit the Jaw? It kind of looked like the Warrior Candidates were all wiped out. Falco, Gabi, Udo, Zofia… No. Porco's not going to mourn their deaths just yet. They're all smart kids. They're all Warrior Candidates. They must have been smart enough to get out alive.

He's going to believe that.

“Galliard!”

He turns and meets eyes for the first time with twin green of determination. 

“What are you waiting for? Come with me!”

It’s so damned embarrassing.

But his heart soars at such a simple command.

It’s easy to catch up to them in his Jaw Titan form. He makes sure to pick up any of their stragglers and to cut off the rope once they’re all safe. It wouldn’t do if someone with ill will climbed up. And if needs be, Porco will just transform again and pick up any more stragglers for them.

Then and only then he reveals his human form to the tense people from within the walls.

“Yo,” he greets them. “Name’s Porco Galliard. I’m defecting to your side.”

“But why?” they ask with eyes full of suspicion.

To say that it’s because of friendship will be too cliched, right? To say that it’s because he wants to know more about Eren would be creepy, right?

So instead, he grins and says, “Why not?”

_ Fin. _


End file.
